The Beatles: Rock Band Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

Published: Jan 9, 2009

The Beatles: Rock Band General Information

Glossary

Body

The wide, bottom area of your guitar.

Combo

If you've hit several notes in a row without missing, you have a "combo" going. A combo is an ascending count of the notes you've hit in sequence, and increases your score (see: "Multiplier" in this glossary).

Drum Fill

Whenever a drummer's highway becomes five fat, solid, and colored bars, they're at a "drum fill." This appears during a big finish at the end of songs for earning bonus points, and to activate your Overdrive (see: "Earning & Using Overdrive").

Fill

In this guide, "fill" is slang for the aforementioned "drum fill."

Foot Pedal (AKA Drum Pedal)

This is the pedal on the bottom of the drum kit, and it's used to hit the long, orange notes on a drummer's highway (see: "Working the Pedal").

Frets

The five colored buttons at the top of the guitar's neck are its "frets." You'll press whichever button matches the incoming note on-screen, and strum to hit it successfully.

Hammer-On

If you see a low note followed by a smaller, higher-pitched note (going from left to right), you'll only need to strum the first one and can tap the second. In doing so, you'll perform a "Hammer-On" (see: "Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs").

Headstock

This is the top (hence "head") of the guitar.

Highway

During gameplay, you'll notice a graphic in the center of your screen which resembles a real fret board, and the notes you're to play will descend along it. This area is nicknamed the "highway."

Kick Drum

This is the specific kind of bass drum which rock artists use, and in this guide, it may reference notes that you'll hit with the foot pedal.

Multiplier

If you have a lengthy combo going, a number will appear at the bottom-center area of your instrument's highway. This is your "multiplier," and can go up to 4x (or if you're in Overdrive, 8x). As its name implies, it multiplies the amount of points you earn per note.

Neck (AKA Fretboard)

Just as the headstock is the top of the guitar, its neck is the slender area connecting that and the body (it's also where the frets are located).

In music, do you understand the difference between a "high C" and a "low C?" If you do, you already understand the octave. It signifies a musical note whose frequency is only half as high as another, yet playing the two of them together results in harmony. Though it may sound complicated, find and listen to some examples of similar octaves played apart, then together.

Overdrive

When you've hit enough glowing phrases of white notes, you'll add power to your "Overdrive." When used, this ability will yield higher scores and can save you from failing out of a song (see: "Earning & Using Overdrive").

Pad (AKA Drumhead)

This refers to the color-ringed pads of your drum kit, which you'll strike to play notes.

Pull-Off

If you see a high note followed by a smaller, low-pitched note (going from right to left), you'll only need to strum the first one and can tap the second. In doing so, you'll perform a "Pull-Off" (see: "Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs").

Sustain

Whenever you see a rectangular note followed by a long line, it's called a "sustain." Overdrive chords should be whammied to sap out all their juice (see: "Earning & Using Overdrive").

The long, thin, silver bar on your guitar's body is called the "whammy bar." By depressing it on and off during long chords, you can warp the note's sound. When used on glowing chords, it'll earn you more Overdrive Power (see: "Earning & Using Overdrive").